


Body Language

by jell_0_shot



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: F/F, Falling In Love, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-02
Updated: 2016-04-02
Packaged: 2018-05-30 18:17:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6435139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jell_0_shot/pseuds/jell_0_shot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leslie buys a magazine with an article titled, '20 Body Language Signs That Mean He's Into You.' It was supposed to help her realise if Mark liked her, but it helped her realise something else entirely...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Body Language

Leslie wasn’t usually one to frequent the pages of _Cosmo_ , but today had been especially exhausting and she wanted to indulge in something light. She’d stopped in at the shops on her way home because there was no chance she could cook anything that resembled food tonight, and then found her way to the magazine aisle.

Rachel Bilson was smiling at her on a bright pink background. The cover had white lettering splashed all across it, but one headline in particular caught her attention; _‘20 Body Language Signs That Mean He’s Into You.’_ She chewed her lip and glanced around. Maybe this could explain whether or not Mark was really into her.

She pulled the glossy magazine off the shelf and slid it under her microwavable lasagna. She grabbed a packet of red vines on her way to the counter, and drove the quick route home.

* * *

 

The lasagna was hot and steaming in front of her, a cup of coffee to the side of it. She had the packet of red vines nearby and a rerun of The Nanny was playing on the television. It was the perfect set-up, so she nestled into the couch with Rachel Bilson on her lap. She flicked through until she found the article.

_1\. His pupils are huge._

Leslie sat back against a pillow and scrunched up her nose. She tried to conjure an image of Mark’s eyes; did his pupils dilate when he saw her? She couldn’t remember, but she made a mental note to check tomorrow.

She read on, and it explained that the pupils dilate when they are attracted to or aroused by someone. A brief blush coloured Leslie’s cheeks as she imagined arousing - anyway, this one was no help because she’d never watched his pupils that closely.

She reached out and her hand closed around the plastic container holding her dinner. It was no longer scolding hot, so she took a mouthful and accepted that this was the best she could do food-wise tonight. She placed it back on the table and wiped a grease stain off the shiny magazine page with her sleeve.

She was feeling rather discontent - with the article, her lack of knowledge about Mark’s pupils, and the lasagna - when the doorbell rang. She pressed mute on the television remote and weaved her way to the front door.

“Ann?” Leslie was pleasantly surprised; she thought Ann was working a night shift tonight.

“Hey, Les.” She smiled at her and her eyes were wide, drawing Leslie’s gaze to them. The brown inside them was swirling and her pupils began to grow.

“I texted you and asked if you wanted to come over but you didn’t reply, so I figured I would just come to you.” Ann lifted up a container filled with homemade pasta in one hand, a bottle of wine in the other. “Can I come in?”

Leslie hadn’t moved, hadn’t said anything. She was still staring at Ann’s eyes; her pupils were starting to grow smaller now, but Leslie swore she saw them expand. _You’re over-thinking it because of what you just read, everyone’s eyes do that._

“Les?”

Leslie’s gaze snapped down to the pasta, the wine, up to Ann’s face, and she realised she was still standing out in the cold.

“Oh, come inside, sorry. I left my phone in my purse so I didn’t get your message.” She shut the door and followed as Ann dodged piles of paperwork and boxes. They ended up in the kitchen and Ann began to separate the pasta into two bowls.

“My shift got changed so I ended up having the night off, and I made fresh pasta. You hungry?”

Leslie glanced at her probably-cold lasagna on the table and nodded. She kept replaying Ann’s pupils dilating in her mind, the words from the article flashing there too. Ann handed her a bowl and a glass of red, and she tried to shake the feeling from her bones.

* * *

 

It had been a few days since Ann had come around with pasta, and since then Leslie had been watching her eyes closely. Her pupils weren’t dilating so much around Leslie during the daytime, so she put it down to coincidence and her brain taking _Cosmo_ too seriously.

Mark’s eyes stayed the same whenever he saw Leslie. One time, she thought she saw his pupils dilating but it turned out there was just a good-looking temp behind her.

She was beginning to lose hope, so that night she opened the magazine again and continued.

_2\. His eyebrows are raised._

Well, he certainly raised his eyebrows at her a lot. But often that had to do with her extravagant ideas and his understanding that none of them could actually become a reality. She read on -

_3\. He shows you his front teeth._

Leslie didn’t entirely understand what that had to do with liking someone.

_4\. He smiles above the mouth._

Did Mark ever really smile? Not around her, at least.

_5\. He licks his lips in a cute (not creepy) way._

It became too ridiculous; she pushed the magazine onto the floor and put Law & Order on instead. The article was messing with her head, and she couldn’t put her finger on the feeling that was settling in her stomach because of it.

* * *

 

Ann was picking at her food, and Leslie knew that she only did that when there was something important playing on her mind. Her eyes were glued to the television where Heidi Klum was talking to a bunch of wanna-be designers, but Leslie could tell she wasn’t really watching.

“Is everything okay?” Leslie asked over her plate of spaghetti and piles of project proposals.

“Hm?” Ann drew her gaze away from the box to where Leslie was huddled on the floor, pen arched in one hand and a fork in the other.

“You seem a little distracted.” Leslie waved her fork hand in the direction of the television, “Is everything okay?”

Ann put her plate down on the table in front of her and drew her legs into her chest. She looked uncomfortable.

“Mark asked me out on a date today.”

“Oh.”

“I said no, of course!” She hurried to explain, “I would never do that to you.”

Leslie nodded, “Thank you.”

The pair stayed silent for a while; Leslie returned to her proposals and Ann returned to her food. An unsettled feeling rested over the both of them and Leslie couldn’t focus on her work.

“You could have yes, Ann. You know - if you wanted to.”

Ann looked at her, a softness in her eyes, “I didn’t. I don’t.”

* * *

 

“Read it out to me again.”

Leslie laughed; it had been a stressful week at work and on top of that, she’d had to come to terms with Mark liking Ann. Having a silly phone conversation with Ann was helping her, relaxing her. She calmed her.

“ _6\. He locks eyes with your face - not your eyes._ ”

Ann snorted, “And they’re actually passing this off as legitimate information?”

“Yeah, it’s ridiculous.”

“It really is. And you of all people shouldn’t listen to it.”

“Why?” Leslie shifted under the covers of her bed, the magazine sliding from her lap.

“Because if someone liked you, they wouldn’t be able to stop staring into your eyes.”

“You think so?”

“Of course! I mean, you have a nice face too. But your eyes are really special, Les.” She paused, “I’m starting to get really tired so I better go. Sleep well.”

Leslie smiled into the now-silent phone resting on her ear.

* * *

 

_7\. He takes a deep breath when he sees you._

Leslie was feeling a kind of confident that only happens every so often. She’d managed to get her eyeliner just right, and she’d only called Ann twice panicking about what to wear - a personal best. She’d glanced at the dumb article quickly as she waited for Ann to pick her up, only getting through one more body language sign before there was a knock on the door.

She grabbed her purse and checked her lipstick in the entrance way mirror, before pulling the front door open. She was ready to go but suddenly her legs couldn’t move and she was stuck on an intake of breath.

She forced air down her throat and breathed deeply, her chest expanding as she took in Ann. She was wearing a dark purple dress. It was strappy and hugged her hips, and her hair was pinned up at the sides.

“You ready for this girls night out? Donna’s waiting in the car.” Ann smiled at her, her keys clicking in her hands.

Leslie nodded and pulled the door behind her, trying to get her breathing normal once again.

* * *

 

Leslie couldn’t sleep so she rolled out of bed at 5:14 am and found Rachel Bilson smiling up at her from her desk. This damn magazine was haunting her, but she couldn’t stop reading it - the same way you can’t take your eyes off a horrifying documentary about keyhole surgery, or brutal murders.

She read the next two signs consecutively:

_8\. He leans toward you when you talk_

_9\. He puts his hands on his hips with his elbows out to the sides._

The ninth one made no sense, and the accompanying photographs made it all the more absurd - nobody stood like that. The eight one made a little sense. She tried to think if anyone she knew leaned towards her when they spoke but her mind came up dry.

She took a shower to wash away the feeling of being unworthy and unloved.

* * *

 

Ann was three minutes late for their lunch date.

Leslie’s foot was subconsciously tapping the ground, waiting in the courtyard. She checked her watch again. Four minutes. Leslie didn’t mind when Ann was late, honestly, but she only had a half hour lunch break and -

“Hey, Les. Sorry, the line was a bit longer than usual.” Ann handed her a coffee and a salad.

“That’s okay, thank you buying me lunch!” Her foot stopped tapping.

“Anytime.”

“So, you said you wanted to tell me something about one of the male nurses you work with? Something about a stethoscope and a sponge bath?” Leslie raised her eyes at Ann, anticipating the gossip.

Ann tucked her legs under the table opposite Leslie, and launched into the story. Leslie was listening, but she was also studying. She was studying Ann; the way her hair danced in the wind, that way she swirled her lettuce-laden fork in the air as she spoke, the way her lips and eyes connected each emotion.

“So I’m pretty sure he’s going to get fired.” Ann breathed - finally finished with her story - and ate the lettuce on her fork.

“Wow, that’s crazy.” Leslie mused, the skin of her elbows aching. It wasn’t until she sat up straight and rubbed her hands over them that she realised how far forward she’d been leaning over the table.

“You okay?” Ann asked.

Leslie looked up, “Yeah, fine, I was just leaning on my elbows funny.”

* * *

 

Ann met her outside the hotel where Marlene’s fundraising event was being held. Leslie was wearing a loose black dress and small heels, her hair was up in a clean bun. When Ann arrived, she told Leslie she looked beautiful. Leslie told her she did too.

They were seated with a bunch of people neither Leslie nor Ann knew, so they made polite, strained conversation with them throughout the evening. During a quiet lull, Leslie leaned over to Ann and placed her hand on her wrist.

“Thanks for coming with me tonight, I know it’s been kind of boring.” She smiled apologetically at her.

“I like spending time with you, Leslie. I don’t mind.” Ann looked around them and leaned a little closer, “What are our chances of sneaking out of here unnoticed, though? Reckon we could pull it off?” A devilish glint sparkled in Ann’s eyes and Leslie’s heart started racing.

She looked for her mother; she was stuck in the corner talking to Councilman Milton. Leslie moved her hand from Ann’s wrist and wrapped their fingers together instead, then pulled.

“Come on, while my mother’s distracted.”

They giggled and ran all the way to the lobby, as if they weren’t free to leave whenever they wanted. They didn’t stop running until fresh air was burning their skin.

“Oh, thank God.” Ann laughed, and their hands fell to their sides.

Adrenaline was rushing through Leslie’s body, swirling in her veins and leaking into her bones. Ann’s cheeks were flushed and she was smiling at her like there was nothing else in the world but the two of them. Maybe there wasn’t.

Ann walked towards Leslie, her hand outstretched and reaching for face.

“What are you -”

Ann’s fingers grazed her face, taking hold of a strand of her hair that had fallen out of place, and slid it behind her ear. Her fingers lingered - so did her eyes, which were piercing into Leslie’s.

The article that Leslie had read a bit more of before the event had started flashed in front of her eyes -

_10\. He tucks your hair behind your ear._

And suddenly it became very clear: the pronouns were all wrong. It was never _he_ tucks your hair behind you ear, it was _she_.

It was; _her_ pupils are huge, _she_ takes a deep breath when she sees you, _she_ leans towards you when you speak. She didn’t buy the magazine to figure out if Mark liked her; she bought it to understand that Ann did. And she liked Ann, too.

Leslie’s lips parted - she breathed in, ready to say something, anything.

“Ann, I -”

The large doors behind them swung open, and a couple walked out arm-in-arm, laughing loudly. Ann and Leslie stepped apart and they could feel the air between them shatter.

Leslie couldn’t raise her eyes above the ground while they walked to their cars. Ann grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze when they reached hers, and Leslie watched her drive away.

* * *

 

The morning after the fundraiser, she was determined to ignore her mother’s calls. She was also determined to understand what happened inside her mind yesterday. She grabbed a marker and the _Cosmo_ , and curled into the couch. She drew lines through the male pronouns, and scribbled the right ones beside it.

11\. ~~He~~ She sits with ~~his~~ her legs spread.

12\. ~~He~~ She angles ~~himself~~ herself toward you.

13\. ~~He~~ She points ~~his~~ her toes toward you.

14\. ~~He~~ She crosses ~~his~~ her legs.

15\. ~~He~~ She sort of shuffles toward you while you’re talking.

16\. ~~He~~ She talks to you whilst facing you.

17\. ~~He~~ She touches ~~his~~ her throat.

Even though the article remained ridiculous to her, the puzzle pieces inside of her mind started to find their place. Things started sounding right, and when she read each one aloud, she imagined Ann. She imagined Ann angling herself towards her as they talked, she imagined her shuffling towards her during their conversations, she imagined her touching her throat as they laughed together. She could picture it all so perfectly because they’d all happened, in real life.

This was real life.

A fire was set, lit and burning in the bottom of her stomach. She needed to talk to her, she needed to see her. She picked up the phone she was ignoring, and dialed her number.

“Les, it’s kind of early. Are you okay?”

“You want to get breakfast with me this morning?”

* * *

 

Ann was waiting for Leslie in a booth at JJ’s Diner, and she looked nervous. Leslie’s own nerves disappeared the second she saw Ann.

“Hi.” Leslie slid in opposite her and their knees knocked.

“Hey.” Ann breathed a sigh of relief.

They ordered, each stealing glances of the other, hearts beating. When their food arrived, Leslie couldn’t keep it contained anymore.

“I like you, Ann.”

She was taken aback by how upfront Leslie was, and it took a moment for her words to thaw through her whole body. “I like you back, Leslie.”

The two smiled shyly at each other, until Leslie scrunched her nose in happiness and started on her waffles.

* * *

 

They walked to Ann’s house, leaving their cars to pick up later, and held hands the whole way back. Leslie had held Ann’s hand before, of course, but never like this. This time, there were sparks igniting between their fingers and their palms were pressing together.

_18\. When she holds your hand, she presses her palm against yours._

They were standing in the living room; Ann fluffing about with the pillows on the couch, Leslie rambling on -

“So, I mean, I’m not entirely sure how this should work, and you of all people know how terrible I am with this dating thing, I call you before every date to ask you what to wear and - oh God, am I still allowed to call you about that now? Because I’m not sure what to do if you aren’t there to tell me what to wear, and I’ll probably turn up to our dates in a - in a - in double denim or something, which by the way, I still think I could pull off -”

“Leslie.” Ann’s voice was a wave, and it washed over her until she had calmed down. Ann walked over to her, assurance in her eyes, and placed her hands on Leslie’s arm.

_19\. She grazes your forearm while she’s talking._

Ann looked into Leslie’s eyes, and they were both telling each other that this is what they wanted. Leslie rested her forehead on Ann’s, their thighs met, and Ann’s hands moved up her arms and curled around her shoulders - they were touching any way they could.

Their breaths were keeping time.

“Leslie.” Her name left Ann’s mouth as a whisper, desperate. And then she kissed her, so the whole world fell apart around them. Their world was a tornado, and they were connected, twisting, in the eye of it.

* * *

 

_20\. She walks beside you._


End file.
